How does one share their soul with multiple mates?

[kreeativ]

whatever it is or isnt, its continualy evolving, and thats the beauty of it,yes to evolving!

[aliceloveshatter]

Originally Posted by River

Being whole doesn't mean that we can't add to that wholeness with new insights, experiences, bonds of love, etc.... We're whole to the extent that we approach life without a sense of basic lack clouding our experience. When we live with a basic Yes! attitude toward life -- even though life has its pains and losses. We have to say Yes! to it all. And that doesn't mean we can't also want to change things. It's just another way of being in relation to this wish to change things. We can say a hearty Yes! to our lives and still wish to change things in ourselves and in the world.

To me, a "soul mate" is just what you described; someone who teaches you soul to progress, be that through love or pain or whatever. I don't believe in predestination, so not someone that you are "meant" to meet, but I do believein reincarnation, so someone who influences you to change either this life or your next.
x.S.x

[ArgentLuna]

Really interesting subject!

I actually think of it all as a jigsaw puzzle. Humans didn't evolve to be "alone". We're actually quite a clannish species... so when we form a group, we create a "picture", and each piece has its own size, shape, and numbers of connecting arms.

For example, take two mothers, and we're looking at the "progeny" part of their pictures. One mother has four children. The other mother has one child. Are their "jigsaw pieces" the exact same? No. The mother with more children has more connecting arms on her piece in order to link with all her kids. The mother with just the one kid has just one connecting arm for the "progeny" part of her overall picture.

I consider it the same for mates. A mono pair would have just one arm each, for the "mate" part of the picture. A poly person would have more than one, at least.

And I don't think it's a static sort of thing. I think the puzzle is very dynamic, and each piece can reshape itself to adapt to the situation as needed in order to create the whole picture.

So in short, I think of "soulmates" in terms of... not being fated, but something that we each create, when the time comes for us to create it.

Does that make ANY sense? I'm hungry so I may not be as coherent as I think!

[MrFarFromRight]

Originally Posted by kettlingur

It has always intrigued me that our soul, our core of who we are and what we believe, is typically described as mated with only one other's soul, or two halves of a whole soul, joining together in love to create one. And when we meet that singular special person who holds the other half of our soul we are supposedly then fulfilled and complete and meant to spend our lives forever with that individual. Or so traditionalistic, monogamist relationship theory would have us believe.

I rather think that that last sentence hits the nail on the head.
Traditionalistic, monotheist religious theory would have us believe that unless we believe in (their) one God, we're not going to get to Heaven. (Although not a Buddhist, I am impressed by the Buddhist concept that Heaven [a state of bliss] is something we slip into and out of often during our everyday lives.)

The Spanish have a phrase, "my half orange" - as if we're not the whole fruit unless we find our other half. And I always thought that oranges were made up of many segments...

Oh, Lawd! Am I whiffling again?
If you will accept the definition of "soulmate" as being not someone necessary to complete you, but rather a "kindred spirit" or someone you mesh with (spiritually, if you'll accept that term and remove its religious connotations) in a very profound way, I see no reason that you shouldn't find more than one in your life.

Meanwhile... have a good time looking!

[kreeativ]

think about this. some spiritual teachings tell us we are all one. this may imply that there is only one soul. and to become human is to be separated from that wholness of god to experience ,with the interjection of ego,aloneness,individuation,to explore all the complexities that make life what it is.
so we are all soulmates,throw in the karmic attractions, assignments of the soul and you get the reason we are attracted to certain people.
if we deny love,where ever it may pop up,and im talking about love,not nre,we may infact be swerving away from our karmic assignments.
let love happen

[MrFarFromRight]

Originally Posted by kreeativ

think about this. some spiritual teachings tell us we are all one. this may imply that there is only one soul. and to become human is to be separated from that wholness of god to experience ,with the interjection of ego,aloneness,individuation,to explore all the complexities that make life what it is.
so we are all soulmates,throw in the karmic attractions, assignments of the soul and you get the reason we are attracted to certain people.
if we deny love,where ever it may pop up,and im talking about love,not nre,we may infact be swerving away from our karmic assignments.
let love happen

BlerrrK!!! I wanted to say that ("we are all one [...] there is only one soul"), too, but I left it out.

Thanks, kreeativ!

[Ariakas]

For me this was an easy concept. Going back over a decade. I had fallen in love with a woman, while still in love with my ex (even though I hated her)... I believed in their own ways they were both my soul mates. At that time they were. So... I hit the internet.

Anam Cara stuck home for me. Soul Friends. The idea that multiple people can have impacts on your soul. With the idea the a few of them are mates too. I have used it ever since and it has helped. I am at a point again where I believe I am with my Anam Cara... my soul is in a very happy place...

[GroundedSpirit]

Originally Posted by River

Being whole doesn't mean that we can't add to that wholeness with new insights, experiences, bonds of love, etc.... We're whole to the extent that we approach life without a sense of basic lack clouding our experience. When we live with a basic Yes! attitude toward life -- even though life has its pains and losses. We have to say Yes! to it all. And that doesn't mean we can't also want to change things. It's just another way of being in relation to this wish to change things. We can say a hearty Yes! to our lives and still wish to change things in ourselves and in the world.

Beautiful ! Love it !

GS

[Rarechild]

There have been and are people in my life that I recognize on sight and remember, though I am meeting them for the first time. I have no religion, but this makes me think I've been here before, and find my familiars again and again.

I am fortunate enough to have two such people in close league with me now. There are a handful of friends whom I feel this same way about, and I am grateful to say that with all of them, even the ones who are no longer in my life or in this life; the connection has no possibility of ending. It is deeply comforting to wonder who we were before and who we will become. Perhaps my mind works this way to soothe itself. Either way, I'm pleased by the feeling.

I am too much of a poet to be able to stomach the word "soulmate" bandied around for the dick-zillionth (thank yooou, Neon!) time by someone with a bad vocabulary (not anyone here- I've just been to a lot of poetry readings).
I think here are much more unique and interesting spiritual discussions to have. Besides-how exhausting to think that there is only one person that you must find in the wide world who will complete your soul? That doesn't sound like my brand of self-awareness.

Ok, now I'm just avoiding my homework.
-R